Pictures of You
by There'sAGirl
Summary: Bella Swan, a professional photographer, makes a big mistake with a customer, James Montgomery. Forced to be on the run, Bella leaves her home. On the way she involves Edward Cullen. On a wildest ride of their lives, what will go down?
1. Prologue: Dream On

Chapter One: Dream On

Title song by: Train

Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

_Click._

Shift, adjust, deep breath and

_Click._

Shift, adjust, deep breath and

_Click._

Shift, adjust, good angle, right there. Deep breath and

_Click, click, click._

"Okay, that should be good."

The whole woods seem to awaken. Birds take flight the branches, in search for breakfast. The rustle of naked branches is music to my ear, with the bass of crunching snow. The sun reflected of off each unique snowflake that drifted down to earth.

_The peace of the world right now _must_ be an illusion._

Even though I know it's not, the thought flits across my mind, like it does every time I'm out here.

The winding path, which tangles through the woods, leads me to a lonely street. Parked cars, left abandoned in the snow, sit silently, until they're needed. A picture of serenity.

_Click._

Shift, adjust, deep breath and

_Click, click… Click._

Slowly, lost in thoughts, I made the familiar way home. The outside light called to me 'come home, it's warm and lovely inside.' You'd think I could keep the smile from my face, as I think of here as 'home', even after years and years.

The smells of pizza and gun polish attack my senses. A warm glow comes from a lamp in the living room. Closing the door quietly, I sneak over, raise my camera and _click._

"Got you." Charlie blinks at me, startled.

"Bella, I didn't know you were in town." I grin at him.

"Liar, you left the outside light on. Alice called, didn't she?"

He gives me a guilty smile. I sit down next to him, grabbing his hand in a gentle squeeze.

"What brings you here?" Figures he'd ask right away.

Forced to ruin the moment, I answer: "I need help."

-*-

"Why didn't you tell me sooner, Bells?" Charlie's voice wasn't condescending, but hurt.

"I'm sorry, Dad. Really, truly I am. But everything was happening so fast, I was so scared. Contacting anyone, even you, was out of the question." I wish tears would form at my eyes, and fall down my cheeks like any normal girl. But instead, Charlie's eyes began to water.

"I know, but… Oh, Isabella." I allowed him to embrace me, he shoulders shook for minutes on end.

"Yeah dad, I know. It's okay, though, really." I tried my best to comfort him. But that's just not my forte, comforting people. Patting his back awkwardly, I pulled back. Maybe I shouldn't have come; it's going to be harder than ever to leave.

"How about some coffee?" I nodded and got up to prepare a pot. Strong and black, how we both drank it. It left a bitter taste that I reveled in.

Charlie now sat in his favorite chair at the dinner table. Light overhead washed his face out, making him seem pale, and even a little fragile. The worry lines on his face were deeper than other before, his tears now dried.

"So, what are you going to do now?" he practically whispered.

"I'm going to run like hell."


	2. There's A Girl

Title Song: by The Ditty Bops

It's a song about Bella!!!

Chapter Two: There's A Girl

**Bella's POV  
2 weeks earlier  
Thursday, September **

"That's right. A little to the left, now. Good. One more… Good job, sweetie. There's cookies and juice over there." The little girl I was photographing jumped off the stool and ran towards the snack table. She was talking excitedly to her father, jumping up and down and making exclamations with her hands.

"Next!" My assistant, Seth, called.

A handsome man sauntered up. He was good looking, no doubt. He had long blonde hair pulled into a ponytail at the base of his neck, and glittering blue eyes that stared right into me. I pulled out his information page; in front of me was James Montgomery.

"Yes ma'am, I'd like one photo of each side of my face, and one of the front." His white teeth dazzled me while he spoke.

I giggled, "Like a mug shot." He laughed along with me, and then we smiled at each other.

I wish I had seen the darkness in those blue eyes, then. Maybe nothing would have happened.

~*~

"Wait, Bella!" Someone's voice called my name through the wind, somewhere inside me, I hoped it was James. Turning, my wish came true.

"Hey, James. What can I do you for?" Mental slap. Way to sound like a prostitute, Bella. Applause, applause.

He smiled, picking up on my unintentional innuendo. "You ran out so fast, I didn't get your number."

"Don't you have the number of the studio?" I asked. Pause.

Pause.

_Riiiight._ Stupid, Bella.

"But, um," he stuttered for a second. "I kind of wanted to take you out on a date." He looked at me through long eyelashes.

I paused, processing what he had just said.

"Um… Yeah! That'd be great. Here." I pulled out a pen and wrote my cell phone number down on his hand. "Call me tonight, we'll talk about it."

I flounced away confidently; at least that's what it looked like on the outside. On the inside, I was a nervous wreck. I'd never just given a guy my number like that. What if he's a serial killer?

But a part of me didn't care. Part of me was saying 'Good for you, Bella. You finally grew a pair. Figuratively of course.'

Because even the voices are reasonable.

~*~

**8:11 P.M. that night.**

The phone rang, causing me to jump again. So far, I've answered eagerly to two telemarketers and a wrong number.

"Hello?" I asked in the Bella form of casual. Which means breathy. Very, very breathy.

"Hey, Bells. Been awhile, huh?" Charlie… Right.

"Ha-ha, Dad. We talked two nights ago." I rolled my eyes and got comfortable on the couch.

"Bella today is Thursday. We talked on Sunday." My eyes shot open.

"No way. You must be mistaken." Be even while denying it, the calendar on my cell told me his words were true.

"Bella," He warned. "You know I don't want you so caught up in work. It's bad for your health. Have you at least been taking your pills?" I rolled my eyes again at Father Lecture 101. "And don't roll your eyes, when's the last time you went out to enjoy yourself?"

"In fact, father, I'm waiting on a phone call from a guy right now." I cringed for the onslaught of questions.

"That's good, Bells. Just remember to take the medicine for your heart." Wait, is Charlie sick? No million questions on who it is? Just 'That's good.'?

"Okay, Dad. I should really go now. I love you." He mumbled a reply and I threw the phone down, got up, and stretched. Standing up on the tips of my toes, the phone rang again. If this isn't James, I give up.

"Luke's Padawan Training, what's on the menu?" I quipped.

A laugh was followed by, "You. Me. Café on the corner by your studio. Tomorrow?" A satin voice rang through my ears, and I felt a blush creep up my cheeks.

"Yeah, sorry. A lot of telemarketers." I'm sure my face looked like a tomato if anyone could see it.

"No, it was funny. I like a girl with a sense of humor. So… 1 o'clock sound good?" I reveled in his voice for a moment.

"Yeah, great. I guess I'll see you. Sorry, again." He was laughing again as he hung up.

_Oh. My. Jesus._

Sliding to the floor I began hitting myself in the head. Isabella Swan: Nominated the _biggest _freak in Washington. There's no competition this year, folks. She's a shoe-in.

Outside, it was snowing again. The flakes were huge; I could practically see the detail from my place five feet away from the window. I jumped up (bumping my leg against the couch) and grabbed my jacket, camera, and slipped on my shoes.

In the hallway, there was a dog on the carpet outside someone's door. I snapped a picture of him, then another as he raised his head. On the sidewalk, just outside my building, little snow piles were beginning to form.

A lady was walking down the other side of the street but stopped. She was wearing many coats and was dragging two paper bags behind her. She stared at me as I took random pictures.

"Hey, miss!" She called out. I hesitated for a second, then walked over. "Take a picture of me. I'm pretty, too." Up close, her hair was matted with dirt. She smelled, slightly, and her nose was crooked.

But she was the most beautiful lady ever, though, because of her eyes. She had sparkling green eyes, and a wide, white grin.

I nodded and smiled. This was serious.

Adjust, deep breath and  
_Click.  
_"Good, good." I whispered. Shift, adjust, deep breath and  
_Click._  
She started to move, but I stopped her. "One more." Shift, adjust, deep breath and  
_Click… Click, click, click._

"Okay, all done." I said, backing away. "You really are pretty."

The lady smiled at me and ambled off, the two brown paper bags trailing behind her like loyal puppies.

Farther down the road was an alley that always had old, real stuff that I sometimes liked to take pictures of. I began towards it, a song running through my head. Right before turning, there was a noise. Curious, hoping to find a stray animal to pose for me, I crept around the corner…

And immediately crashed into someone else. They were wearing a black ski mask, and other black clothing. I fell, and the person stopped. Their bright blue eyes met mine for a moment, until they ran off, followed by three or four other black-clad people.

Thoughts in my brain swirled until I heard a moan of pain. Scrambling up, I stepped into the alley and saw a man, crumpled and seemingly in pain. Rushing to him, I pulled my phone out of my pocket, ready to dial 911.

"Are you okay," my voice came out in a whisper.

The man groaned again. "Do I look okay?" His sharp emerald eyes were clouded with pain. (Bella, you are such a freak, always looking at people's eyes._ I know, I know._)

"I'm calling 911, okay?" He did this nod-wince gesture, which I assumed meant that I could go ahead. I explained the situation to the lady with a calm voice, and hung up when she said 'help is on the way.'

Looking back at the victim of the losers in black, I couldn't help but wonder: Why this man? His clothes didn't seem of someone who was extremely wealthy. And his face wasn't hard, like that of someone hateful and cruel. So… Why?

I sat onto the filthy, wet ground and placed the stranger's head on my lap. His hair was an odd color. A bronze of sorts. It was soft, though slightly filthy, trailed with dirt and blood. I ran my fingers gently through it, hoping to calm him.

Soon, I could hear the sirens. And in minutes, they had arrived. After that, there was chaos. EMTs were everywhere, along with cops. They all bustled around me as if I was invisible. They picked up my stranger (Mine because nobody else is here to claim him) and placed him carefully on a stretcher, then into an ambulance.

Finally somebody addressed me. "Would you like to ride with your boyfriend, ma'am?"

Instead of correcting them I just shook my head. "No thanks, I think I'll just go home."

Exhausted I began the short walk. But after a few steps, I remembered something. Turning back towards the mayhem, I took a deep breath and

_Click… Click, click._

~*~

**12:45 PM  
Friday, September 3**

"Seth, I'm taking my lunch break. Don't forget to call Mr. Cullen about those pictures he ordered, he really needs to pick those up. Oh, and eat a sandwich, I noticed you skipped breakfast this morning." My assistant, following attentively, jotted down what I said, before leaving to his desk. I grabbed my jacket and headed for the café.

It was warm and nice inside. I looked around and spotted James at a booth.

Then I was warm and nice inside.

He got up with a smile and gave me a peck on the cheek. "Can I get you something to drink?" he offered. I nodded and asked for black coffee. He chuckled, "Ms. Swan doesn't play around with her coffee."

As he stood in line, James kept turning and made faces at me. Oddly enough, I made faces right back. When he came back and sat down, we stared at each other (awkwardly) for several moments.

"So…" he said.

"So…" I replied. (Good wordage, Bella.)

"So you like taking pictures?" He blushed. His question had an obvious answer, but I went along with it.

"Yeah. It's soothing. So you like taking mug shots?" I smiled at him and he smiled back. But it didn't reach his eyes.

"Yeah, I guess I do."

"So… What were they for?" I prodded, trying to get the conversation going somewhere.

"If I told you," he began darkly, "I'd have to kill you."

Normally when people say that line, it causes their companion to laugh.

The darkness in James' eyes did not leave room for laughter.

* * *

Author's Note:

How's the story so far?? Give me feedback please!!

Question: Have you ever had a situation when you found somebody hurt badly??

Reviews=Smiles!! :D


	3. Like A Racecar

**Like A Racecar**

**Edward's POV**

"Edward? Edward! For God's sake, just wake up already!" You know, this shrill voice in my ear sounds oddly like my mother.

"Mrs. Cullen, please. We've given Edward some painkillers, so he may be drowsy for the next few hours." The smooth voice coming from the other doctor tried to calm her. That was stupid of him.

"Painkillers!!! You gave my son painkillers? So now he's going to be a drug addict? My son has a very addictive behavior. Oh, this is not good at all. Let me see my husband." Oh God, kill me now… Pretty please?

"Mrs. Cullen, as I have informed you many other times, your husband works in the hospital part of this facility. This is the ER. We have paged him, but he is in surgery at the moment. If you could please just take a seat-"

"Don't you tell me what to do you over-paid, good for nothing, think-you're-so-smart with a degree buffoon!"

I decided to end the doctor's misery. "Mom?"

**Bella's POV**

"Haha, James." I said, trying to be nonchalant. My voice came out weak, though.

"Bella, you've heard of different so-called "secret agencies", right?" His fingers formed quotations around those two words.

I nodded my head.

"Well…" He looked to be struggling for words. He opened his mouth to speak, but then closed it, and took his hands off the table, reached into his pants pocket, and pushed a button his is cell phone.

"Hello?" He paused as somebody else spoke. Slowly, his eyes met mine, and they were colder than ever.

"Yeah, I know. Should I?" He waited again, still staring through my eyes to my soul. I couldn't look away.

"Okay, I'm leaving right now… Don't worry, I won't… Don't talk like that, A. You know it's against the rules… I don't care. There's something-" He went on with his conversation, and I was growing even more curious by the second. Even only hearing his side of what was being said, I was intrigued.

I guess you could say: I'm nosy like that.

Finally James hung up and set his phone on the table. "I've got to go. Stay here for a few minutes, then go home. Stay there. I'll deal with you later." He stood abruptly and left.

It was those last five words that finally brought true terror through me. It was also these words that made me decide to do what he said. If only for answers.

I stared at my watch: 1: 11. Make a wish, Bella.

_I wish I could figure out what the hell is going on._

Staring idly around, I finally noticed something. James left his cell on the table. Instantly, a million questions flew across my brain.

_Did he leave it here on purpose? It is a test to see if I'll go through it? Was it an accident and I'm being paranoid? If I go through it will I find answers? Should I pick it up and return it later?_

Eventually, after stewing over these questions, I picked up the phone and put it in my purse. I got up steadily and walked out of the café. As if to mock my now quite sullen mood, the door jingled cheerily.

Ever so slowly, I walked back to the studio. Inside Seth was typing away at his desk, and half eaten sandwich next to him.

"Hey Seth, I need to go home. Can you cancel all my appointments please?"

"Sure." He said, following into my office with his notepad. "I called Mr. Cullen's office about the pictures of his niece, they said he was in an accident and is now in the ER. They said to call back in a day or two." I nodded at this bit of news absently while I wrapped up a few things on the computer.

"Thanks, Seth. Feel free to take the day off too." He gave me a look that said: yeah right. One of the many things I admired about Seth was his determination to work, and be the best he could at it.

"Oh, one more thing," he said, blocking my escape out of the studio and towards home. His eyes were on the floor, and his hands behind his back. "Could you… Maybe, if you have time…" Seth stammered. He actually… Stammered.

"Out with it."

"Well, I've created a portfolio. Just some work I've done here and there. Will you take a look? Critique it a bit?" He held out what looked like scrapbook. It was different from any portfolio I'd seen, but it wasn't presented badly.

"Sure, Seth. I'd love to. You know I love your pictures." He blushed, and backed away a few steps.

"Have fun on your day off. Be good."

What had seemed a warm, sunny day not one hour ago was now gray and cloudy. The sky threatened to bring rain at any moment, with clouds dark and fat.

**3:52 PM**

"I can't take it anymore!" I screamed at my blank television.

I have been sitting in silence for a total of 8 minutes and (according to my digital watch) 34 seconds. 35…36. My Hawk Nelson CD ended and, not bothering to change it, I haven't moved.

Instead, I've been brooding. About the cell phone. The one that's not mine, yet still in my possession. The one that I'm getting off the couch to retrieve. The one that I'm unlocking and going through.

His background was black. Just black. No family picture or crude cartoon. Just black.

I went through and found his pictures. There was one of him, unsmiling. And a few of random things. A car, an apartment building, a piece of paper. Nothing too life changing.

Next, I went to his text messages. There were no sent messages, but there were two unread. I opened the first.

**To: James**

**From: Aro**

**3: 15 PM**

**Where are you? I've been calling for the past hour. Answer. It's about the girl.**

The phone must have been on silent because I hadn't heard it. Again, the questions bombarded my brain.

_Could Aro be the 'A' James was talking to earlier? What girl?_

I ignored my inner George and opened the other text.

**To: James**

**From: FAU**

**The girl was a witness. You must eliminate her. Ignore the rules. I want her dead by Tuesday.**

Whoa. Brain overload.

Eliminate?

As in… Kill?

OhMyGod.

_Knock, knock, knock…Knock._

Crap. Who's here?

**Edward's POV**

You know, Esme really is a lovely woman. But when she's worried she… Freaks out. She acts like a bloody maniac.

I love her, but _really._

Wait, the doctor is still talking.

"-should probably go home with your parents today, just so they can watch your behavior. Maybe spend the night. Tomorrow you should be right as rain." Right as rain? Who says that? And who says that rain is right?

"Thanks doctor. Is my father out of surgery yet?" Yes, he'll be here momentarily. The doctor looked at my chart one more time, set it down on the bed, and made his exit.

I sat back and went back to what I have been thinking about all day.

_That girl._

She stayed with me, and called the ambulance. But who was she?

What's more, why was I attacked in the first place? I'm a nobody. All I wanted was to take a walk when the city was a little bit quieter.

Okay, I really hoped something exciting would happen. Something life changing.

But not _this._

"Edward, my boy. You look awful." My father walked in, dressed in his street clothes (if you can call slacks and a button-down 'street clothes').

"Thanks, dad. I took quite a hit."

"Yeah, so I've heard. So I brought you a bit of a pick-me-up." I looked at him again. His hands weren't in his pockets or behind his back, as if he was holding something.

So I looked up at the door and saw my favorite person in the whole entire world.

"Teddie!!"

**Aro's POV**

"Aro, you've been in there all day, it's time for you to go home." My nagging secretary was at the door, telling me, once again, to call it a day.

"Alright, already. Just let me go over this one more time."

I've practically memorized what was on the thin stack of papers in front of me, Heidi knew this, and frowned at my stalling.

I learned the hard way to get all my conversations by phone printed up into scripts, so I could review them, and use them as evidence when needed. This one before me now was a conversation between myself and James Montgomery.

The reason for reviewing it so many times is because he sounded so damn distant. Airy even. James never lost focus, but on the phone, he seemed distracted.

But more than that, he sounded reluctant to answer my questions.

_Okay, once more, and then I'll go home._

**James: Hello?**

**Aro: It's me. I heard about the witness and what the company wants you to do. Tough luck, kid.**

**James: Yeah, I know. Should I?**

**Aro: I don't know. This is a tough decision. Why don't you head over to the shop and we'll go over the facts.**

**James: Okay, I'm leaving right now.**

**Aro: Don't make any other stops; you're in enough trouble as it is.**

**James: Don't worry, I won't.**

**Aro: James, I'm worried about you, kid. Maybe you should think about breaking off for awhile.**

**James: Don't talk like that, A. You know it's against the rules.**

**Aro: I know, I know. Don't mess with the girl anymore yet. She may be a witness, but we don't know anything about her.**

**James: I don't care. There's something-**

**Aro: No! There's nothing. Do as I say. I don't like the vibe I'm getting from this situation.**

**James: Yeah, yeah. Whatever. I'll meet you at the shop later.**

**Aro: Not whatever! Kids, these days. Don't be late**

**End Call**

Stupid kid. One day he's going to get killed because of his rash actions.


End file.
